Intersecting Identities: Evaluating the Impact of SC/ST Women in Indian State Legislative Assemblies on Legislative Commitment to Healthcare and Education for SC/ST Women Open Access

Abstract

This research investigates how the intersection of caste and gender informs political representation in India by examining the presence of Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) women in state legislatures. It asks whether and how the descriptive representation of SC/ST women shapes substantive legislative commitment, primarily through proposed budget allocations and passed legislation, to addressing the needs of similarly marginalized communities, particularly in the domains of healthcare and education. Drawing on theories of intersectionality and political representation, the study considers how shared identity and lived experience may influence legislative behavior, while also recognizing the institutional constraints that shape what legislators can meaningfully accomplish. Situated within India’s decentralized governance structure, where social policy falls largely under state authority, this research contributes to broader scholarly conversations about the relationship between identity, representation, and the distribution of political attention.

Table of Contents

I. Introduction 1

II. Literature Review 3

III. Theory 8

IV. Research Methodology 14

V. Data Analysis 31

VI. Findings 34

VII. Discussion 49

VIII. Limitations and Future Research 57

IX. Appendix 62

X. References 66

About this Honors Thesis

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School	Emory College
Department	Political Science
Degree	B.A.
Submission	Honors Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	South Asian Studies Political Science, General
Keyword	Political Representation Intersectionality Descriptive Representation Caste India Healthcare Gender State Legislative Assemblies Substantive Representation Education
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Reingold, Beth, Emory University
Committee Members	Harmon, Rachel, Emory University Crabtree, Kiela, Emory University

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